Wikipedia thrives on the contributions of heroic volunteers. Our editors, fact-checkers, and writers keep the world’s largest encyclopedia accurate and up-to-date. But there’s a rampant problem: fewer people are signing up to help the quest of sharing knowledge. Account registrations have been declining for years, with a 6.7% drop over the past year alone (April, month to month). So yes, it is created by heroes who found their path to create an account.

This isn’t just a numbers issue; it’s a threat to the health of Wikipedia’s contributor community, in every language. Each of them are concerned: when fewer people register, fewer stick around to edit, maintain and curate the encyclopedia, and the cycle of decline continues, even worse.

The Wikimedia Foundation works with communities on solutions to change this trend. Meanwhile, we are also exploring the many small blockers that prevent users from succeeding. The Growth team looks for small but impactful changes that could help potential newcomers to join the quest, no matter if they are readers or future editors.

Most new readers and potential editors come to Wikipedia on their phones, but the mobile account creation experience is below industry standards, where signing up is made easy and clear. The option to create an account is hard to find. It is buried under menus or hidden behind confusing prompts. When (lucky) users do find the registration form, it’s cluttered, outdated, and difficult to navigate, especially on small screens. It is the residence of all sorts of warnings, complex instructions, and, paradoxically, too much greetings! 

Many users encounter friction before they even complete registration. Fortunately, many of these barriers can be addressed through straightforward usability improvements.

The Growth team has identified several areas for improvement and has begun testing potential solutions. These experiments focus first on mobile experiences, with successful changes potentially expanding to desktop as well.

The well-hidden account creation process

On mobile, the “Create Account” option is hidden or confusing. Can you find it? There is no sign of it. Enmarking the path is a good way to take the first step, so we added a prominent user icon to the mobile header, so users can find it with a single tap. 

The overwhelming registration form

The current registration form can feel overwhelming, especially on mobile devices where the keyboard reduces the visible screen space even further. The form includes redundant branding, lengthy help text, confusing warning messages, and dense instructions that make the process frustrating and difficult to complete.

 
The updated design aims to create a cleaner and more intuitive experience. By simplifying the layout, improving visual hierarchy, and reducing unnecessary text, the form becomes easier to understand and navigate.

Early testing suggests that even small changes, such as clearer instructions, improved spacing, and real-time feedback, can significantly reduce friction and make registration feel more approachable.

As part of this work, the account creation form is also being updated to use Codex, Wikimedia’s design system.

Pick a username… but not this one.

What makes unique humans enter Wikipedia is their unique username. Yes, it is possible to edit with no account, but the benefits of having an account should be highlighted (more on this later).

Finding the right username is an overwhelming task. It must suit you, but also follow some rules. 

We introduce a real-time username validation to provide immediate feedback: is the username taken? It is better to check at this step, instead of after you clicked on “create account”! 

The team is also testing a shorter and more accessible explanation of the username policy. Instead of directing newcomers to a long and complex policy page, the new approach provides concise guidance directly within the signup experience.

Additional improvements include standard usability features such as a “reveal password” option, helping users avoid mistakes while entering passwords on mobile devices.

Oops, I’m logged-out!

Now that you have an account, you are free to log in and out when you want. As it happened to many editors (including several Growth team members), editing without being logged-in assigns you a temp account. Then your edits can’t be re-attached to your main account.

The current logged-out warning message does little to encourage users to sign in: it is just a reminder for users who signed-out! In some cases, it even prioritizes editing without an account before explaining the benefits of logging in.

The redesigned experience better highlights the value of having an account, including saving edits, building a reputation, accessing mentorship, and using personalized features. The login option is also surfaced more prominently for returning contributors, while anonymous editing remains available for those who prefer it.

Is it working? Our A/B test is conclusive: 27% of users created an account, while 16% shifted from a temporary account to a permanent one. Soon, we will deploy the new interface to all wikis.

Future explorations?

The Growth team wants to pursue the work on other improvements. Your ideas are more than welcomed! 

One area of exploration is reducing the complexity of the registration process itself, particularly around username and password creation. Breaking the process into smaller, more manageable steps could help reduce abandonment.

We’d like to encourage temporary users to create full accounts at key moments, like after they make their first edit. Our initial explorations highlight what they gain: a permanent identity, access to more tools and services (like reading lists, suggested edits or a mentor), and a stronger connection to the community. Or, for what matters to most of them: getting credit for future edits, building a reputation as an editor or tracking their edit history. 

Many readers are also unaware of the features available to registered users. Future work may explore surfacing tools such as Reading Lists to logged-out readers while showing how creating an account unlocks a more personalized and connected experience.

A better account creation journey will not solve contributor decline on its own. But reducing friction, improving clarity, and making participation feel more welcoming can help more curious readers take the first step toward becoming contributors. Maybe we should start with another stop users face: suggesting usernames? 

And curious minds are one click away from learning more about this project and sharing their ideas and feedback.